Meet Auli’i Cravalho, the voice of new Disney princess ‘Moana’

MANILA, Philippines – Meet the young woman voicing the lead role of Moana in the upcoming Disney movie of the same name: 14-year-old Auli’i Cravalho from Hawaii. 

She’s always wanted to be a singer or actress, she told People magazine. “Moana is such an amazing character. She’s brave, she is so empowered, she knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to get it, and I think that’s something that I can relate to as well. I just love watching how she goes along in this wonderful movie and grows as a person and helps her culture along the way.” 

Watch this beautiful video featuring the moment Auli’i learned that she earned the role of Moana.

.@auliicravalho finds her way as the voice of Disney's #Moana. https://t.co/bCaNckXAYF

— Disney (@Disney) October 7, 2015

New details about Moana were recently revealed at the D23 Expo last August. Moana is about a young Polynesian woman who goes on a mission to reconnect with her heritage. Moana, who, according to slashfilm.com, is the daughter of the chief, sets out to sea to look for a mysterious island. 

Of course, she meets many colorful characters along the way. Here’s a still just shared by Disney and the cast, of Moana with Maui, a powerful demigod voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. 

So excited to be a part of Moana! Can't wait to get back in the studio!

A photo posted by @auliicravalho on Oct 7, 2015 at 5:41am PDT

Dwayne also shared this on Instagram along with his best wishes for Auli’i. 

IT'S OFFICIAL: After months and months of worldwide casting calls, we've finally found our next DISNEY Princess… #MOANA. I'm pumped to welcome 14yr old @AuliiCravalho of Mililani, Hawaii to our project. What's amazing about this story is that she didn't think she was good enough so she never auditioned. Fortunately, one of our Oahu casting agents discovered her singing at a charity competition and the rest is history. * An awesome lesson to all young kids out there… work hard, have confidence in yourselves and never think you're not good enough because you never know what the future holds. Congratulations Auli'i! Can't wait to work with you and watch you bring this new Disney Princess to life. #YesThatsMeOnTheRight #HisNameIsMaui #HesADemiGod #AndHePutsMoanaInHerPlace #SoHeThinks #DisneyAnimation #MOANA #TimeToSing

A photo posted by therock (@therock) on Oct 7, 2015 at 7:42am PDT

Here’s the concept artwork, courtesy of Disney. 

Moana is set to hit theaters in 2016. – Rappler.com